The Malaysian owner of newly promoted Cardiff City says he plans to open his
wallet to acquire new forwards and defenders for the Premier League, but
that none would be “superstars.”

Billionaire Vincent Tan also said he would consider selling the Welsh club if a big enough offer came in but that he was focused for now on strengthening the team. “I think unless there is an offer too big to refuse, my plan is to stay on for a long time, but of course we need to stay on in the Premier League,” he told reporters in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

The Welsh club will return to the top flight for the first time in 51 years after they drew 0-0 at home to Charlton Athletic last week to ­guarantee promotion from the ­Championship.

After that was confirmed, Tan announced the club would spend up to £25 million on new talent but he explained yesterday that the money would not be spent on big names. “We can’t afford superstar players for the time being,” he said.

Tan has various interests in financial services, hotels, property and gaming. Forbes magazine has estimated his net worth at more than £850 million.

Cardiff fans were outraged last year when the blue shirts that earned the club the nickname the Bluebirds were changed to red, with Tan saying red was “luckier”. Tan is ethnic Chinese, among whom red is traditionally viewed as bringing good fortune.

Meanwhile, Swansea City defender Neil Taylor has revealed that working with Dr Ian Mitchell, a psychologist at Cardiff Metropolitan University, has helped him to overcome a horrific ankle injury.

Taylor had been expected to spend the rest of the season on the sidelines after breaking and dislocating his ankle in a challenge with Sunderland’s Craig Gardner in September. But the Wales international made excellent progress in his recovery and returned to the first-team squad as an unused substitute in Saturday’s goalless draw with Southampton.